﻿Description: Join us on Beltane/May Day to bless the developing edible forest garden at Rochester Permaculture Institute, a program of Seeking Common Ground. We’ll celebrate the fertility of the land and then help build the fertility of the soil by sheet mulching some of the new beds.

Mission: Rochester Permaculture Institute, a program of Seeking Common Ground, is dedicated to exploring, modeling, and inspiring more conscious, sustainable, and restorative ways of life through the application of permaculture and other regenerative design techniques and principles.

Edible Forest Gardening (EFG) is an effective way to design home scale gardens in our climate that mimic forest ecosystem structure and function, but grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizer, "farmaceuticals," and fun while we consciously apply the principles of ecology and permaculture. Join us for a hands-on skill-building experience in edible forest gardening. Learn to transform traditional lawn landscapes into abundant food-producing perennial forest gardens. Participants will learn the skills needed to get started at their own home or expand the abilities of a gardening business. We will get our hands dirty while we install and establish a brand new forest garden.

Have you wanted to:

• learn about Permaculture and/or EdibleForest Gardening?

• learn how to grow more food in less space with less weeding and watering?

• learn how to use organic gardening methods to produce healthier food for your family?

Edible ForestGarden Caretake and Harvest – August 19-21, 2011
EdibleForestGarden Design and Theory – Fall 2011 (date TBD)Join us as we begin installing polycultures of multi-purpose plants at the new Rochester Permaculture Institute, a program of Seeking Common Ground, a local urban/suburban space. Using EdibleForestGardens by Dave Jacke with Eric Toensmeier as a guide, we will discuss and experience methods and practices to design and plant a food forest. Beginners and experienced forest gardeners and permaculture practitioners will all benefit from this experience. This dynamic, hands-on class will meet 6-9 pm on Friday, 9-9 on Saturday, and 9-1 on Sunday.
All classes are stand-alone experiences and may be taken individually or as a series. Unless otherwise indicated, Patty Love, MALS, PDC, is the teacher/facilitator.
For more information or to register visit: http://rochesterpermacultureinstitute.org/events/efg/

This course is structured in one introductory weekend followed by monthly Sunday sessions, allowing full-time workers, students, and people with families more flexibility to participate. All classes will be held in Rochester, NY. Camping and a few indoor overnight accommodations are available. Sliding scale $800-1000.

In our permaculture design certification courses, you will learn how to observe and use the same principles that make ecological systems self-sustaining and apply them to integrated homes and gardens. In addition, you will learn how to apply these principles to energy systems and water supplies, healthy communities, meaningful and fulfilling work, ecological economies, and global political movements for change.

Throughout it all, you’ll be engaged in learning and experiencing an empowering way of living in the world, surrounded and supported by like-minded people and instructors. Our goal is to make you a part of Rochester Permaculture Institute’s community, incorporating our seasonal activities into your permaculture experience as time permits. Activities may include spring and fall pruning, seed planting, plant propagation, bed preparation, compost pile making, water harvesting techniques, natural building, and other activities.

Each of our permaculture design certification courses includes the following: